Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Large store systems typically are laid out in an enclosed rectangular space, with shelving for merchandise and aisles for shoppers arranged along lines parallel to the exterior walls of the store building. The shopper typically progresses through the store by going down one aisle and up the next. To go directly from the first aisle to the last requires that customer travel the length of the store.
After selecting all the items desired, the shopper must proceed to a checkout area, where all the parallel checkout lanes are located in a confined space. This area is often crowded with lines of other shoppers, not only making it difficult to proceed directly to a given checkout counter but also making it difficult for shoppers who are still shopping to get from one aisle to another. Both shoppers waiting in line to check out and those trying to get from one aisle to another can become frustrated with the congestion and develop a negative impression of their shopping experience.
The entrance and exit of such stores are typically singular in number and may or may not be near each other, but either arrangement can make parking a motor vehicle in the establishment""s parking lot a frustrating experience for a shopper, who usually prefers to park as close to both as possible, especially in inclement weather. When the store entrance and exit are located next to each other, the parking spaces in their vicinity quickly get taken up, thus concentrating traffic in the precise area where shoppers are walking to and from their cars. Those shoppers who cannot find a parking space close to the entrance and exit do not enter or leave with a favorable impression of the store.
In some stores, the entrance and exit are separated by a good distance. In such an arrangement, there are no parking spaces that are convenient to both store entrance and store exit. Such an arrangement also can frustrate shoppers, who must walk some distance either just before or just after the shopping experience in the store. In such situations, the preferred parking spaces are midway between entrance and exit, which causes those areas in the parking lot to become most congested and dangerous for drivers and pedestrians alike.
A new arrangement for a store system not only would improve movement within the store and alleviate congestion at checkout areas but also would lessen parking congestion and reduce dangerous traffic patterns in the parking lot surrounding the store building.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a revolutionary store system is provided, whose floor plan is essentially circumscribed by a circle or a polygon of many sides. This system involves arranging the shelving units and aisles between them in a radial fashion on a floor structure, with a hub area at the center of the store facilitating movement among the various aisles. The checkout counters are spaced at regular intervals all around the outer edge of the store and are located just inside the outside wall of the store and oriented more or less at right angles to the aisles in the vicinity. With this configuration, lines of shoppers waiting to check out align themselves more or less around the periphery of the store, and in this way do not interfere with customers still shopping and moving around the end of one aisle to reach another. Entrances and exits to the store are arranged near all checkout stations, which are spaced at regular enough intervals to be convenient to every aisle but sufficiently far apart so that entrances are not blocked by lines of shoppers waiting to check out. The parking lot of the circular store is more or less annular in configuration, thus distributing parking spaces all around the structure. All parking space locations are equally convenient, since an entrance and exit will always be located nearby, a very desirable feature in inclement weather. In one embodiment, the entire store is mounted on a slowly revolving floor structure, much as is done with a revolving restaurant, thus providing a distinctive identifying feature to attract customers and also bringing every entrance to and exit from the store in even closer proximity to every parking space in the surrounding parking lot.